


Evergreen: A Happy Ending

by SmackTheDevil



Series: The Evergreen Verse [6]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Babies, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Happy Ending, M/M, Married Couple, Married Life, Minor Character Death, One Big Happy Family, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, Surrogacy, Twins, Two Fathers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:02:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22279852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmackTheDevil/pseuds/SmackTheDevil
Summary: A flash-forward to Jensen and Jared's new life as parents to twin boys who are definitely their fathers' sons!
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Series: The Evergreen Verse [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1482122
Comments: 28
Kudos: 237





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sixth and final installment of The Evergreen Verse. I have loved every second of creating this verse. It was my first foray into romantic fluff but it didn't take me long to fall in love with these boys and their cute, crazy lives in fictional Mapleview, Vermont. 
> 
> I want to thank everyone who has had left kudos and comments, it means so much to me, truly. 
> 
> Evergreen has become my most successful fic to date and I couldn't be happier, so thank you again for making it so and I really hope that this final installment is a worthy ending to this lovely little verse!
> 
> Enjoy!

The road to surrogacy had been a long, stressful and expensive one. It had been a true test of their collective patience and their love for one another. Two years of doctors’ appointments, medical examinations, therapy sessions and searching for the right surrogate, not to mention tightening their belts and saving every penny they could. Surrogacy did not come cheap. So, when they _did_ find the right person to carry their child it had been a relief that the final hurdle had been cleared and they could move toward the proverbial finish line.

Constance was in her mid thirties, had been a surrogate for a gay couple before and had three adorable children herself. Jensen warmed to her the moment they met and just _knew_ that she was the right person to help them realize their dream of the perfect family. Both Jared and Jensen accompanied Connie, as they had come to call her, to every scan, every appointment to ‘their’ OB-GYN and toward the end every last Lamaze class offered. But it had been the first scan after Connie announced that they had been successful that had been the most mind-blowing or most mind-numbing (depending on how they viewed it) moment of the entire pregnancy.

Jensen had been oddly serene and almost devil-may-care ever since Connie FaceTimed the couple to tell them that she was pregnant. Jared on the other hand went into deep shock for two days and seemed to morph into his husband and stayed that way for quite a while.

“I have my first scan in a few weeks, so I’ll call you when I get a definite on the date.” Connie beamed from the screen of Jared’s computer with her younger daughter Miri on her lap.

“Yes, of course. We’ll be there. Every step of the way, every appointment, we’ll be there.” Jensen beamed back while Jared sat next to him with a dumb lax ‘ _I’m going to be a Dad_ ’ expression.

“Are you okay there, Jared?” Connie chuckled, noting the shock written over the younger mans face.

“He’s fine. It’s just shock.” Jensen smirked and gave Jared an elbow in the ribs. “Isn’t it, baby? You’re fine.”

“Hm?” Jared dragged a hand over his hair and nodded dumbly then mumbled something that included the words ‘dad’ and ‘ohmygod’ and something that sounded like ‘help’ too.

“I’ll let you two sweethearts go, I think you might need a drink each, lucky things.” Connie waved using Miri’s chubby little hand and signed off.

“Baby.” Jared muttered.

“I know, my love. It’s finally happened, we’re going to be parents.” Jensen was grinning from ear to ear, relaxed and completely chilled while Jared, clearly happy of course, sat open mouthed and as if someone had just slapped him around face.

Scan day was a drive into the city while Jared read to Jensen from a pregnancy book all the way to the doctor’s office. Jared was _obsessed_ with the book and carried it around like a purse and called it his ‘Baby Bible’.

“You must know that book by heart now, my love.” Jensen smiled through gritted teeth as Jared told him for the billionth time the list of foods Connie should avoid during the pregnancy. “I know _I_ do.”

“It’s important to know the details, Jen. It’s our baby.”

“I know, my love. But maybe you need to just chill a little, people do this all the time. It’s nature.”

“It’s literally the first time we’ve had a baby.”

“Ours yes, but it’s still a very common thing for humans to do.” Jensen grinned, all calm and serene. Jared had become Jensen and Jensen had become the King of Zen. No one would have put money on that turn of events.

Connie was laid back, bare belly not yet showing and the expectant fathers sat by her side while their OB-GYN, Dr. Philips set everything up. Jared asked what every piece of equipment was and Dr. Philips took it all in his stride until Jensen gave Jared’s hand a squeeze (with added fingernails included for meaning) to quiet him down.

“Right, here we go.” Dr. Philips smiled as he drew the scanner across Connie’s stomach. She was obviously a pro at this and was laid back all relaxed, smiling as she watched Jared and Jensen lean forward in sync, holding hands and narrowing two sets of eyes at the monitor. The doctor drew the scanner down and across Connie’s little pod of a tummy and inhaled softly.  
“Ah, there we go.” 

Jensen leaned forward even more, taking Jared with him and just getting a faint outline of a head.

“That’s a baby.” Jensen said slowly.

“No flies on you, Jen.” Connie chuckled. They were like that now, friendly and able to rib one another once in a while.

“Oh, this is news.” Dr. Philips said and adjusted the scanner a little and turned the monitor around. “There’s two.”

Jensen laughed.

“Huh?” Jared’s face fell into complete confusion.

“Yep, there’s two.” Dr. Philips dragged a finger across the screen, pointing out two heads.

“Two heads?” Jared muttered and then Jensen sunk back into his seat.

“Two babies.” Jensen said slowly.

“Ohmygod.” Jared breathed. “Two, there are two babies in there Jensen. Two of them. Two.”

“Yes, I know, my love.” Jensen said softly, still a tad shocked himself.

“Do you two have a history of twins in your family?”

And in sync they both said.

“I have distant uncles who are twins.”

“You have distant uncles who are twins?” They both said, in sync again and shooting one another a look of disbelief.

“Ohmygod.”

The scan picture was the first of the twins to go up on the ‘Wall of Memories’. 

*

“Do we want to find out the genders?” Jensen asked for the billionth time one Sunday afternoon, six months into Connie’s pregnancy.

“No, we’ve had this conversation. It doesn’t matter. You insisted on a gender neutral nursery and that is what we’ve done. It doesn’t matter does it?”

“Oh, I’m not saying it matters, my love. But you’re right, we’ll find out when they’re here. I’m still not used to saying ‘they’. Two babies. I can’t believe it.” Jensen said, poking around at his food with his fork.

“Are you okay?”

“Hm, it’s just a little unreal isn’t it? It’s taken us so long to get here, and in three months we’ll be dads. I feel like the second baby is a reward.”

“I think so too.” Jared grinned. He took hold of Jensen’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Our babies.” He chuckled. “And no one knows we’re having two, I can’t wait to see your mom’s face.”

“Or your dad’s, or anyone’s for that matter.” Jensen chuckled and then pulled a shocked face. “That was you for like a week after we found out.”

“I had to hold you up as we walked back to the car.” Jared countered with a smirk. “But can you blame me? We have no money and now we have ‘one extra baby’s’ worth of negative money.”

“We’ll be fine. You like rice and beans, right?” Jensen teased.

*

The call came through on a very hot July morning, the day after Jared’s 35th birthday. His celebrations had been a strictly no alcohol affair since both of them were on red alert and waiting eagerly for said call. Jensen hotfooted across the forecourt of the smithy’s, his face must have said it all because Jared looked up and literally dropped everything. 

“Connie’s gone into labor. Early stages but it’s time.” Jensen said, hopping from one foot to another. With no Bean to collect from the office since he was too old to go to work with Jensen, it was straight into their car and off to the city. Gerry waved the boys off knowing that he was at any moment to be left high and dry, and that moment was now.

Jensen had readied the car for their twins. Two car seats sat in the back along with two bags full of clothes, diapers and various baby related sundry items which were either necessary or precautionary. Jensen’s meticulous planning of every detail of their lives had come to its height. Fatherhood was his calling and Jared was right there with him.

*

“Oh God, I’m really sorry.” Jensen said to Connie, wincing and all ‘gowned up’, standing at her ‘business end’ watching the first baby’s head crown. Neither he nor Jared were squeamish, maggot riddled giant teddy bears aside. And well, they’re adults and neither of them were going to miss their babies entrance into the world.

Long armed Jared was stretched out, watching with wide eyes while holding onto Connie’s hand the entire time. Baby number one was pulled out with a magnificent award winning push from Connie. Jensen cut the cord of his first non-identical twin and shot a look at Jared.

“A boy.” Jensen grinned with severely wet eyes.

“Oh God, Jen.” Jared bit his lip and watched as the baby was taken away for a few checks then turned his attention back to Connie, who was being the most serene trooper the world had ever seen as baby number two was on its way, keen to join its brother.

The first baby was wrapped up and only because he happened to be standing right there was placed into Jensen’s arms. Connie, through her pain, shoved her head at Jared to go join his husband. Jared rushed around the other side of the bed and immediately took Connie’s other hand as he wrapped his free arm around Jensen and gazed down at his red faced mewling son.

“Oh fuck.” Jared said, which prompted a little titter from one of the nurses. The second baby was almost there and both men stepped forward to watch it come into the world. 

“Oh God, it’s another boy.” Jensen said, dumbstruck as Jared was encouraged to cut his second sons cord. 

“Fuck.” Jared said again, chuckling through tears and then rushed to Connie’s side with Jensen close behind him. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You’re a hero.” Jared pressed a kiss against her forehead before finding himself ‘with baby’. His second son wrapped up and snuffling against the blanket.

Jensen looked up at Jared with a ‘ _what have we done_ ’ look then grinned broadly, sniffing up a nose-full of new father joy snot.  
“They’re perfect, Jay.” Jensen whispered, just reveling in the   
feeling of having his first born son against his chest. “God, this feels amazing. Does yours feel amazing?”

“He feels amazing, my love.” Jared said, as eloquence left them both numb and dumb. “I can’t tell who they look like yet.”

“Just little babies.” Jensen said as his boy let out an ear splitting scream. “Oh this is one is definitely you.” Jensen chuckled, gently rocking the baby and falling head over heels in love.

*

As pushy and keen at voicing her opinion as Jensen’s mom was, Donna Ackles gave he and Jared the best new parent advice they had heard. ‘ _Switch your phones off, don’t answer the door and just revel in that baby because everyone will want a piece of the action. Enjoy those first few days in peace, just the three of you_ ’. It had been the loveliest thing Jensen had heard his mom say even if she had no clue that her only son was dealing with twins, a secret that he and Jared decided to keep for their parents’ first meeting with their grandchildren. 

Peace is a relative term when it comes to newborn babies, and even though their yet to be named twin boys were non-identical, they seemed to do _everything_ else in perfect sync. Crying, pooping, throwing up. All perfectly timed to go off in unison.

“They do everything at the same time.” Jared said as Jensen trimmed his hair because the babies _loved_ to yank on it with their tiny little fists. They figured they had a ten minute window to get the task done before the boys revved up their lungs and needed their dads again.

“I know.” Jensen said tiredly, stifling a yawn and kneeing Jared in the back as his head lolled. Three days of fatherhood and sleep was a distant memory for them both.

“It’s a conspiracy and ow, don’t kick me.” Jared smirked as the baby monitor lights flickered. “See and now they know we’re talking about them.”

“It’s fine, just little noises. I love those little noises.” Jensen hummed then said softly. “I was thinking Logan and Ezra, we both liked those names right off the bat.”

“We did.” Jared smiled. “Who is who?”

“Shall we go and look at them and decide?” Jensen said, hurriedly lopping off an inch of hair from the back of Jared’s head.

“Okay because, I miss them already.” And off they went, silently to name their twins who they hadn’t seen for seven minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

Jensen was hellbent on not dressing the twins the same. At five days old, it was still difficult to tell them apart because they still just looked like generic babies. Only when they were being changed could they tell, Logan had a small brown birthmark behind his left knee and very long legs. They were still matched when it came to feeding and pooping time and Jared for all his falling about and breaking things came into his own and proved to be the most doting dad that Jensen never imagined he would be. Both took to fatherhood as easy as anything despite the lack of sleep but still tried to give some time to an aging Bean who didn’t have a single opinion about his new ‘brothers’. Too old to care.   
It was the day of the grandparents introductions. Donna and Alan had flown up from Texas and were eagerly waiting for the ‘all clear’ in Milton and Vi’s guest house. Gerry arrived first and Jensen stood by the window holding Ezra who was sound asleep wearing a little white hat with a knot on the top.

“Now, remember. You stay there with Logan, I’ll answer the door and just be casual.” Jensen grinned, having gone through the little ‘ _surprise we have two babies_ ’ skit for the tenth time.

“I know, Jen. I won’t move.” Jared said, smiling down at Logan, also asleep but sucking on the tip of Jared’s pinky.

Jensen crept toward the door and opened it slowly as Gerry tiptoed onto the porch, grinning from ear to ear and weighed down with gift bags.

“Oh my.” Gerry said, stepping inside and looking down at his first grandchild. “Who am I meeting here?” He said softly, setting the bags down and pulling the front of Ezra’s teeny tiny baby sweater down so he could see his face better.

“This is Ezra.”

“A boy.” Gerry said, keeping his voice down to a whisper. “Oh, my. He looks like you.” 

“Does he?” Jensen grinned like an idiot when he heard those words, then stepped back to let Gerry in.

“He does. Now, where’s _my_ son.” Gerry was keen to congratulate his only child and bounded into the living room, a lot more brash and loud than he had been around Jensen and Ezra. He stopped, then turned to Jensen who was still holding the baby then looked back at Jared. “What?” Gerry said, his head comically switching from Jared to Jensen as if he were watching a tennis match. “What?” He said again as Jared stepped forward slowly.

“Surprise.” Jared chuckled softly.

“Two!? And who’s this?” Gerry said, pointing at his second surprise grandchild.

“This is Logan.” Jared beamed, then turned the baby carefully to show Gerry, who gasped and slapped a hand over his face. “No it’s not, that’s you.” Gerry was absolutely overcome.

“Oh Dad.” Jared said, sliding an arm around Gerry’s shoulders as he cried softly.

“Look at them both.” Gerry sniffed as Jensen stood beside him. “Two boys, well I never. And two little Jared and Jensen’s. You sneaky little bastards, keeping this quiet.” He chuckled and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Do Donna and Alan know?”

“Not yet.” Jensen shook his head.

“Ah so I get to be in on the surprise too.”

“You do.” Jared smiled and then nodded at Jensen as a car pulled up behind Gerry’s truck. “They’re here. Second performance of the skit.” He laughed.

Jensen walked to the door as his parents walked up the path or rather Donna ran as if she needed to pee.

“Oh my God, oh my God.” Donna yelled then crept onto the porch as Jensen pressed a finger to his lips. “Sorry.” Donna mouthed. “Oh look, Alan.”

“Well done, son. It’s about time this happened for you two.” Alan said, craning his neck over Donna’s shoulder to look at the baby. “Boy?”

“Yes, Ezra.” Jensen grinned.

“Hello Ezra, I’m your grandma.” Donna said, keen to get her hands on the bundle of joy but Jensen pulled back and nodded toward the living room. “Gerry’s here.”

“Oh lovely.” Donna smiled and walked past Jensen as Alan stopped for another look at Ezra.

“He looks like you.” Alan grinned and Jensen lost his mind all over again.

Donna approached Gerry, pulling him in for a big hug and then turned to Jared and chuckled, pointing at the baby. 

“That was a quick move.” Donna chuckled, not noting that Logan was in a little pale green hat. She gave Jared a hug and then turned around to see her son standing next to her with a baby. “Huh? What’s going on?” Donna took a step back and slapped a hand over her mouth. “You haven’t got twins?” Donna gasped.

“We have indeed.” Jensen said, stepping next to Jared, side by side with their two little boys.

“Oh you sneaky bastards.” Alan said with a cackle.

“That’s what I said.” Gerry grinned. 

“Are you tired?” Donna said, smirking a little as she split her attention between her two new grandsons.

“Exhausted.” Jared smiled then handed Logan to Donna. “This is Logan.”

“Two boys?” Donna gasped as Jensen handed Ezra to Gerry.

“And you three can do whatever you like with them for the next however long it takes for Jared and I to leave the country.” Jensen chuckled, grabbing Jared playfully as if to make a run for it.

“Oh you mean, boy. These darling babies.” Donna frowned.

“They’re kidding, Don.” Alan said, trying to get his hands on his grandson since his wife had him in a possessive vice-like grip.

“But we _are_ going to kitchen to make coffee.” Jared said, taking Jensen by the hand and dragging him off to do just that.

*

Introducing the babies to their grandparents turned out to be the most relaxing day the new fathers had had since the boys were born. All three grandparents were more than happy to feed and change and rock and wind while Jensen and Jared sat on the couch, sipping wine and dozing off every ten minutes. Many happy family photographs were taken, including one taken by Alan of Jared and Jensen who had fallen asleep on the couch. Jensen got that picture in an email the next day and went over it in minute detail.

“Look at the dark circles under my eyes. And how pale I look and you have a milk vomit stain down that nice shirt I bought you for your birthday. I told you to keep it for best.”

“Best what?” Jared said, tiptoeing around the room with Ezra on his shoulder who had already spewed up down the back of the second best shirt that Jensen had bought Jared for his birthday. “We don’t get to do ‘best’ any more, Jen. We get to sleep, sleeping is the best we can do now. There is no other life.” Jared was droning and monotone, mentally and physically exhausted until Ezra snuffled against his shoulder, which made him smile that ‘shish kebob’ smile that Jensen had fallen in love with all those years ago. “I love those little snuffling sounds.” He whispered, slowly moving Ezra from his shoulder and just holding the baby with two big hands. “This is best.” Jared gazed down at his son and pressed a soft kissed against his tiny downy forehead and inhaled softly.

“Yeah, it is the best.” Jensen felt tears coming on as he watched his husband then glanced down at Logan who was sound asleep and cocooned against his body in a self-made papoose. “Are we doing okay?”

“What do you mean?” Jared sat down, shoulder to shoulder with Jensen and laid Ezra on his lap, little body slotting between Jared’s closed thighs.

“Caring for the boys. Are we doing a good job?” Jensen muttered.

“Of course we are, baby. I mean, look at them. Both sound asleep. Bellies full, clean diapers and clothes.” Jared smiled, peering down at Logan’s tiny face against Jensen’s broad chest. “And I can hear myself think for once.” He chuckled.

“It’s just, they’re people aren’t they? They might be babies now but in a years time they’ll be walking and talking, then off to kindergarten, then school and-”

“No, one step at a time, my love.” Jared said calmly, much more like himself these days. Old Jensen was back. Fussing and worrying. “Look at them.” 

“Sometimes I can’t.” Jensen whispered. “Because I love them so much it’s actually painful."

“I know. I love you, but this is different isn’t?” Jared said cautiously. 

“Definitely. Different love, intense. I love it though.”

“So do I.” Jared leaned in slowly. “But I am still crazy in love with you.”

“Same.” Jensen said softly, welcoming Jared’s lips against his own as the smell of poop wafted up warm and fresh from inside the papoose. 

*

The residents of Mapleview had been desperate to the meet the babies. Jared and Jensen had chosen not to post photograph’s on the towns Facebook page, preferring to take the boys out for their first ‘viewing’ when they were both seven days old. Milton and Vi were retired now and their shiny little coffee shop was being run by Ryan, their grandson but mostly Mapleview was exactly the same and that was one of the reasons Jensen loved it so much. He wasn’t a fan of change that he had no control over and so walking the babies in their twin stroller down the never-changing Main Street, filled his heart with joy.

“It’s very low.” Jared grumbled, taking control of the stroller that had taken thirty minutes to put together after they had got out of the car. 

“No, you’re just very high.” Jensen smirked, watching Jared hunch over as he wheeled the boys along the sidewalk. 

“You’d think that in this modern age that they would accommodate tall fathers.”

“Jay. Baby. You are exceptionally tall. You know that right?” Jensen chuckled as they approached the steps up to Milton and Vi’s guest house, where they also lived.

“So are you.” Jared huffed, helping Jensen lift the stroller up the stairs and onto the porch. 

“I’m regular tall, you’re abnormal tall.” 

“Just ring the bell.” Jared frowned.

There had been no need because no sooner had Jared said that, Vi was flinging the door open and giggling with excitement.

“I have been waiting for this day for too long, you boys.” Vi said, opening the door and giving Jared a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“We’re here now.” Jensen said in a sing-song voice, just managing to squeeze the stroller through the doorway and kissing Vi on the cheek. The old couple had become like family and were the grandparents that neither Jared nor Jensen had.

“Milton’s in the living room.” Vi hummed, craning her neck to look at the babies, all bundled up dressed in cute but again unmatching outfits. “Oh my goodness, what darling little boys. But then, so are their daddies.” She hummed then placed a hand over her mouth.   
“They look like the pair of you already, don’t they?”

“Yep, Logan is the screamer.” Jensen chuckled throwing his eyes at Jared.

“Is that my two surrogate grandsons I hear?” Milton yelled from his easy chair in the living room.

“You’d better go in, loves. I’ll make some tea.” Vi smiled and scurried off to the kitchen.

Milton had aged a lot in the past few years. He was smaller and more frail but still had the spark of a man half his age. Getting up was a chore and Jensen immediately laid a hand on the old man’s shoulder to make sure he stayed seated.

“We’ll bring them to you, Milt.” Jensen said, kissing the old man on the head.

“Well, that’s the Rolls Royce of strollers, isn’t it?” Milton said, dragging a hand over the edge of the stroller and peering inside. Jared pulled the hood back, as Milton leaned in and looked down at the babies. “Well I never, that’s you two in there.” He chuckled, hand trembling as he gently pulled Ezra’s blanket down to get a better view.

“Do you like them?” Jensen said, kneeling next to Milton’s chair.

“Jen, I love them. They’re my great-grandchildren. Can I hold one?”

“Of course you can, you can hold them both.” Jensen felt a little teary since he knew Milton had been sick of late and wasn’t going to deny the man a cuddle with the boys. The babies were lifted out of the stroller and carefully placed in Milton’s arms. 

“Vi!” Milton yelled out. “I’ve got both of them!” He looked down at the boys, both sound asleep, two little solid bundles of perfection.  
“Who would have thought this, eh? All those years ago when you moved to Mapleview. You boys were destined to be together, weren’t you? I said to Vi, that day you first met that Jared could use a friend. And I was right.”


	3. Chapter 3

_Five Years Later_

“No.” Jensen sighed, having said ‘no’ for the seventh time in a row.

“But why?”

“Because it’s dangerous, sweetie.”

“But Dad works there every day.”

“Yes, but Dad is an adult.” Jensen said, scrubbing a days worth of grass and dirt out of Logan’s hair who was being particularly whiny. “I think.”

“It’s fire.” Ezra muttered, sitting quietly in the bathtub and deep in thought like he usually was and nowhere near as grubby as his brother.

“That’s right, Ez. And fire is dangerous. Maybe when you’re a bit older, hey?”

“No.”

“Okay, still not letting you ‘play with the red rocks’.” Jensen smirked. “We can still go and see him though because he has the big white horse there tomorrow.”

“I don’t like that one.” Logan pouted.

“Yes, you do.” Ezra whined, throwing a starfish bath toy at his brother’s head.

“Hey, enough of that.” Jensen frowned. “No throwing, or hitting, or yelling. Remember?”

Two five year-old boys were a handful. They fought whenever Jensen was with them. They screamed and kicked, drew on one another and broke each others toys. But at school they were little stars, when they were with Jared they were cute and adorable and without fail, every night they would curl up in one of their twin beds together and go to sleep all cuddled up. Around Jensen, they were little devils. And Jensen being Jensen felt victimized. 

“They hate me.” Jensen said, laying on his back stretched out on the couch with his head on Jared’s lap.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jared frowned, a little worse for wear after his 40th birthday celebrations the night before. “They don’t hate you. You’re just a pushover and they’ve worked it out.”

“Maybe we should have another baby, that one might like me.” Jensen matched Jared’s frown.

“For a 44 year-old, you can be very whiny. And no, we’re not having any more kids. The boys love you, pumpkin. It’s what kids do, they test the weakest one of the pack.” Jared smirked then fingered a little patch of gray hair in Jensen’s beard. “And that’s you, old man.” 

“Stop fingering my gray.” Jensen huffed. “You said it looks sexy the other day.”

“It does but you are _so_ easy to tease.”

“But why do they do it? I’ve watched you with them and they’re all cuddly and-” Jensen sniffed and buried his face against Jared’s stomach which was still ‘28 year-old’ taut. Blacksmithing does wonders for a persons body.

“Don’t cry, love. The boys are just testing you, you just have to be a little firmer with them. They love you, they love both of us equally.” Jared was always the soother, stroking Jensen’s graying hair which was still as thick and loaded with wax as it always had been. 

“I know.” Jensen muttered.

“Hey, bring them down to the smithy’s tomorrow. I know Logan is desperate to work with me, I can set up a safe little corner for him with some horseshoes. And you can take Ezra into work with you, he loves it in there doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll bring Logan’s toy tool kit with me. He’s had it packed and ready by the door for days now.” Jensen chuckled through a soft sniff and looked up at Jared. “He wants to be just like his Dad when he grows up.”

“Wouldn’t that be amazing, if he learned the trade?” Jared mused.  
“He’d be the fourth generation Padalecki to blacksmith.”

“I would love it. I know you shouldn’t force interests onto your children, but wouldn’t it be incredible if they both had creative careers.” Jensen smiled at that thought, then cried. “Thing is, I don’t want them to grow up.”

Jared pulled Jensen up into an all-consuming bear hug and there they stayed, wrapped around one another until footsteps could be heard coming from the bottom of the stairs.

“Daddies, I can’t sleep.” Logan was stood in the living room doorway, one hand pressed against an eye, rubbing it sleepily. One of leg of his Toy Story pajamas was wrapped around his knee and his long hair was typically matted at the back of his head. A mini version of Jared and no mistake.

“Come and have a cuddle?” Jared said, opening his arms which already contained Jensen. Logan nodded and shuffled in bare feet and climbed onto the pile.

“Your hair.” Jensen chuckled, smoothing down the chaos with his fingers which made Logan shiver and giggle.

“Daddy, why are your eyes red?” Logan held Jensen’s face with two little hands and frowned.

“Oh, I uh.” Jensen mumbled as Logan looked him right in the eye.

“Are you being crying again?” The little boy said, with just as much care as his Dad.

“A little bit.”

“I don’t like it when you cry, be happy.”

“Okay, if you tell me to, how can I say no.” Jensen chuckled, trying to keep it together because even Jared was looking a little misty.

“Oh, hello. You too?” Jared said, cocking his head as Ezra hovered by the door way, one little hand and tiny face poking around the door frame. “Want to come and have a cuddle?”

“Yes.” Ezra nodded, three fingers jammed in his mouth and joined his Daddies and brother on the couch. The big bundle of bodies took a moment to get comfortable and Jensen reached behind him to lay a throw over the three of them.

“We are going to the smithy’s tomorrow.” Jared whispered as the 3 second, blissful family hug-fest came to an abrupt end. Both boys, lead by Logan, leaped up and screamed with excitement.  
“Oh God, nuts.” Jared grunted as Ezra’s foot slammed between his legs. Jensen snorted then pulled Ezra to one side.

“Be careful, you hurt Dad’s bits and pieces.” Jensen snorted again as Jared glared at him. But the boys were too excited to care and bounced up and down on their Daddies until Jared called time.

“Okay, okay. Calm it.” Jared said sternly as he felt an accident coming on.

“Oh, let them bounce.” Jensen grinned before being smothered by his boys. 

“Daddy let’s us do everything.” Logan yelled, feet on Jensen’s thighs and now seemingly out of control. “I love you, Daddy.” Logan beamed, throwing his arms around Jensen’s neck.

“I love you too Daddy, you let us eat marshmallow fluff out of the pot.” Ezra snorted, revealing _just_ how much of a pushover Jensen was.

“Oh does he now?” Jared smirked. “Well, I think Daddy is very naughty for letting you do that. It’s bad for you.”

“No! No, we love him. He’s not naughty.” The boys said in unison, clinging onto Jensen’s neck but thankfully calming down a little.

“No, he really isn’t.” Jared smiled and stroked Jensen’s hair. “He’s the best.”

“Don’t kiss.” Logan said already knowing the signs; used to seeing his Daddies being affectionate with one another, squeezing Jensen around the neck to the point of his having to gasp for breath. “He’s ours.”

Of course, Jensen was reveling in the attention and Jared was lapping it up too. And even more so, as Ezra wrapped a little hand around Jared’s wrist.

“Come on Dad, can we make a camp and sleep in here tonight?”

“Of course we can.” Jared chuckled.

And so they did. Jared gathered together every blanket, sheet, comforter, pillow and cushion he could find and built a ‘fort’ while Jensen dashed to the kitchen to grab a jar of cookies before joining his happy band of merry boys inside the fort. They played games and stuffed their face with Jensen’s homemade ‘rainbow’ cookies until they all curled up together and fell asleep.

*

_Seventeen Years Later_

“How on earth are you doing it, old man?” Jared smirked, fixing Jensen’s necktie and smoothing down the shoulders of his suit jacket.

“Doing what?” Jensen grinned, looking at Jared over the top of his glasses.

“Not aging a day.”

“Well you see, I have a painting of myself in the attic.” Jensen started with a smirk. 

“Oh ha ha. You couldn’t have painted one of me, could you? Might have stopped this receding hairline.” Jared turned around and looked at himself in the mirror, one hand dragging over his hair. Thin and graying now but still long and tied back in a knot at the nape of his neck.

“You are still as handsome as the first day I saw you, love.” 

“As are you.” Jared grinned then checked his watch. “Have you called Logan yet?”

“Several times, he said he’s dealing with a lame horse and will be here when he gets here.” 

“Oh typical. He can’t be late, we have a long drive ahead of us.” 

“He’ll be here. Don’t worry. And I don’t know why we didn’t book a hotel in Montpelier, instead of having to drive back home afterward. We haven’t seen Ezra for a few months.” Jensen sighed.

“I can’t afford to risk a hotel bed, not after last time. You remember when I was laid up with my back for two weeks?” Jared frowned then smirked as Jensen just looked at him with a wry grin.

“That wasn’t the bed that did that, you old pervert.” Jensen chuckled.

“For God sake, you two are like a couple of Hugh Hefner’s.” Logan said, barging into Maple Cottage like a tornado of destruction.

“How the hell do you know who Hugh Hefner is?” Jensen frowned, glowering at Logan who was not ready, still in his gear from the smithy. “He is way before your time.”

“I read stuff, Dad.” Logan yelled, emerging from the kitchen with a carton of orange juice in one hand and huge chunk of chicken in the other.

“Isn’t Molly feeding you at home?” Jensen chuckled. 

“Well, she would but Dad said he was going to help renovate the barn and finally put a kitchen in. But, he hasn’t.” Logan shrugged.

“Son, we’re bogged under at the guest house.” Jared said, levering his son out of the door. “Go and get changed, or we’ll miss the graduation.”

“I have my suit in the car.” Logan shrugged, teeth tearing into the chicken.

“Then go and get it.” Jensen sighed. “And get a shift on, please.”

“Fine, fine. And I need to pick Molly up on the way back.” Logan said, realizing he had forgotten his girlfriend of two years who had been calling constantly for the last hour.

“Oh, you’re just chaos personified.” Jared sighed and Jensen turned slowly to look at his husband.

“Annoying, isn’t it?” Jensen smirked.

*

Much had happened in the seventeen years leading up to Ezra’s graduation who had obtained an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Jared had semi-retired from blacksmithing, leaving the business largely in the capable hands of Logan who also took on his Dad’s barn and lived there happily with his girl. The ‘Padalecki & Son’ name remained. Gerry had passed on three years previously, leaving his home to both Jared and Jensen. The men transformed the house into a bed and breakfast; The Padackles Inn. It was Jensen’s baby, in between dealing with admin at the smithy’s. Logan was as useless as his father when it came to paperwork. Jensen still painted at the weekends occasionally with Ezra by his side. 

Maple Cottage was still their home and was filled with photographs and memorabilia which had spread out way beyond the ‘Wall of Memories’. By the freshwater stream that ran behind the cottage, a little stone marker in memory of Bean sat prettily under the shade of the sugar maple trees. Jensen visited there every Sunday with Olly, his fluffy ginger rescue cat who loved the outdoors just as much as Bean had.

Jensen loved having Logan close by, kind and chaotic just like Jared and he dealt with the wrench of Ezra living away at college by keeping weekly contact with FaceTime calls with Jared beside him. Oftentimes, Ezra’s boyfriend Garrett would join in too.  
With age, Jensen’s anxiety had slowly diminished. A lifetime of happiness, love, children and watching his sons grow into great men had finally leveled him out. He didn’t worry about the future any more, he didn’t care about crumbs or binders or stolen Tupperware. He was, content. 

*

Jensen and Jared stood arm in arm, watching their boys from a distance. Both tall and handsome, kind and talented. Logan thump-hugged his brother, almost knocking him off his feet and for a split second, Jensen was taken back to younger years. To the lithe young man who had knocked him off _his_ feet almost thirty years ago. Jensen squeezed Jared’s arm lightly, tears pricking his eyes.

“I know.” Jared said softly. “What a journey, eh?”

“That one decision.” Jensen said, his voice soft and wistful. “I remember so vividly, sitting in my apartment in New York. I’d been up all day working on some damn painting that I just wasn’t feeling. I just suddenly thought to myself ‘ _I need to leave_ ’, ‘ _I need to go_ ’. And I sat there with Bean all curled up next to me searching through the entire country for someplace I could call home. I saw that cottage and I just knew, straight off that there was something special about that place. It spoke to me. I skipped out on an exhibition opening to go view it the next day. I hadn’t ever done anything so spontaneous before. Not like that anyhow.” Jensen chuckled. “I loved it the moment I saw it. Just like the town, just like you.” 

“Jen, love.” Jared smiled.

“That one decision. What an incredible reward for taking a chance.”

“You still have a way with words.” Jared said, turning his back and wiping a hand over his eyes. Jensen rubbed his back gently, resting his head on his husbands shoulder.

“Dad’s!” Logan yelled. “We’re taking some pictures. “Come on!”

The family gathered together, the boys flanked by their proud fathers. Logan in a haphazard but fetching suit, Ezra in his cap and gown.

“I will never get over just how alike you four are.” Molly beamed as she took a picture. “Perfect.” She grinned. 

Jensen glanced at his three boys, all laughter and smiles.

“Perfect. Everything is perfect.”

_THE END_


End file.
